The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is emerging as a global health threat and shows a higher risk for men than women. Thus far, the studies on andrological consequences of COVID-19 are limited. To ascertain the consequences of COVID-19 on sperm parameters after recovery, we recruited 41 reproductive-aged male patients who had recovered from COVID-19, and analyzed their semen parameters and serum sex hormones at a median time of 56 days after hospital discharge. For longitudinal analysis, a second sampling was obtained from 22 of the 41 patients after a median time interval of 29 days from first sampling. Compared with controls who had not suffered from COVID-19, the total sperm count, sperm concentration, and percentages of motile and progressively motile spermatozoa in the patients were significantly lower at first sampling, while sperm vitality and morphology were not affected. The total sperm count, sperm concentration, and number of motile spermatozoa per ejaculate were significantly increased and the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm was reduced at the second sampling compared with those at first in the 22 patients examined. Though there were higher prolactin and lower progesterone levels in patients at first sampling than those in controls, no significant alterations were detected for any sex hormones examined over time following COVID-19 recovery in the 22 patients. Although it should be interpreted carefully, these findings indicate an adverse but potentially reversible consequence of COVID-19 on sperm quality.
Adult ; Asthenozoospermia/virology* ; COVID-19/physiopathology* ; China ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones/blood* ; Humans ; Male ; Progesterone/blood* ; Prolactin/blood* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Semen/physiology* ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and possible mechanism of acupuncture treatment for negative emotion in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: A total of 40 PCOS patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 20 cases in each one. Both groups received lifestyle interventions (exercise and diet guidance) on the 5th day of menstruation. On the basis of above treatment, the patients in the observation group received acupuncture at Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongwan (CV 12), Guilai (ST 29), Futu (ST 32), Liangqiu (ST 34), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Hegu (LI 4), Shenmen (HT 7), Baihui (GV 20) as the main acupoints, and connected the electroacupuncture (continuous wave, 2 Hz, 30 min), once every other day, 3 times a week. The treatment for 1 month was as one course and 4 courses were required totally in both groups. Before and after treatment, the body mass index (BMI), ferriman-gallway (F-G) score, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score, self-rating depression scale (SDS) score, PCOS health-related quality of life questionnaire (PCOSQ) score were observed, meanwhile, serum sex hormone, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogen (E), progestin (P), prolactin (PRL), testosterone (T), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and free androgen index (FAI) levels, and serumβ-endorphin levels were detected. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, the BMI, F-G score, SAS score, SDS score and serum FAI level were decreased and the PCOSQ score and the levels of serum SHBG andβ-endorphin were increased in the observation group after treatment (all <0.05). Compared with before treatment, the SDS score was decreased in the control group after treatment (<0.05). Compared with the control group, the F-G score, SDS score, SAS score, and serum FAI level were lower, and the PCOSQ score and serumβ-endorphin level were higher in the observation group after treatment (all <0.05). CONCLUSION Applying acupuncture to the treatment of patients with PCOS can effectively relieve anxiety and depression, and the mechanism may be related to the regulation on the levels of serumβ-endorphin and androgen.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Anxiety ; therapy ; Depression ; therapy ; Emotions ; Female ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Humans ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; psychology ; therapy ; Quality of Life

Glycerol monolaurate (GML) has been widely used as an effective antibacterial emulsifier in the food industry. A total of 360 44-week-old Hy-Line brown laying hens were randomly distributed into four groups each with six replicates of 15 birds, and fed with corn-soybean-meal-based diets supplemented with 0, 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45 g/kg GML, respectively. Our results showed that 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45 g/kg GML treatments significantly decreased feed conversion ratios (FCRs) by 2.65%, 7.08%, and 3.54%, respectively, and significantly increased the laying rates and average egg weights. For egg quality, GML drastically increased albumen height and Haugh units, and enhanced yolk color. Notably, GML increased the concentrations of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and reduced the concentration of total saturated fatty acids in the yolk. The albumen composition was also significantly modified, with an increase of 1.02% in total protein content, and increased contents of His (4.55%) and Glu (2.02%) under the 0.30 g/kg GML treatment. Additionally, GML treatments had positive effects on the lipid metabolism of laying hens, including lowering the serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels and reducing fat deposition in abdominal adipose tissue. Intestinal morphology was also improved by GML treatment, with increased villus length and villus height to crypt depth ratio. Our data demonstrated that GML supplementation of laying hens could have beneficial effects on both their productivity and physiological properties, which indicates the potential application of GML as a functional feed additive and gives us a new insight into this traditional food additive.
Albumins/analysis* ; Animals ; Chickens ; Diet ; Dietary Supplements ; Egg Yolk/chemistry* ; Female ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones/blood* ; Intestines/cytology* ; Laurates/administration & dosage* ; Lipid Metabolism ; Monoglycerides/administration & dosage* ; Oviposition/drug effects* ; Ovum ; Oxidative Stress

Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Fingers ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Nigeria ; Obesity ; blood ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sex Characteristics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVESTo explore the effects of Chinese medicine prescription Zuogui Pill (, ZGP) on monoamine neurotransmitters and sex hormones in climacteric rats with induced panic attacks.

METHODSForty-eight climacteric female rats were randomized into 6 groups with 8 rats in each group: the control group, the model group, the low-, medium- and high-dose ZGP groups and the alprazolam group. Rats in the low-, medium- and high-dose ZGP groups were administered 4.725, 9.45, or 18.9 g/kg ZGP by gastric perfusion, respectively. The alprazolam group was treated by gastric perfusion with 0.036 mg/kg alprazolam. The control and model groups were treated with distilled water. The animals were pretreated once daily for 8 consecutive weeks. The behaviors of rats in the open fifield test and the elevated T-maze (ETM) were observed after induced panic attack, and the levels of brain monoamine neurotransmitters and the plasma levels of sex hormones were measured.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the mean ETM escape time and the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and noradrenalin (NE) of the model group were signifificantly reduced (P<0.05), Compared with the model group, the mean ETM escape time and the 5-HT and NE levels of all the ZGP groups increased signifificantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01). However, no signifificant difference was observed in the levels of sex hormones between the groups.

CONCLUSIONPretreatment with ZGP in climacteric rats may improve the behavior of panic attack, which may be related to increased 5-HT and NE in the brain.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Biogenic Monoamines ; metabolism ; Climacteric ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; metabolism ; Panic Disorder ; blood ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study the reference ranges of six sex hormones, i.e., luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, progesterone, prolactin, estradiol, and testosterone, for healthy children aged 0-18 years in Shenzhen, China.

METHODSStratified cluster sampling was performed to select 2 178 healthy children aged 0-18 years in the districts of Futian, Luohu, Nanshan, Bao'an, and Longgang in Shenzhen between September 2015 and September 2016. There were 1 219 boys and 959 girls, including 81 neonates, 335 infants, 346 young children, 469 preschool children, 419 school-aged children, and 528 adolescents. The American Beckman DXI800 chemiluminescence meter was used to measure the levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, progesterone, prolactin, estradiol, and testosterone.

RESULTSThere were significant differences in the levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, progesterone, prolactin, estradiol, and testosterone between different age groups (P<0.05). There were also significant differences in the levels of these sex hormones between boys and girls in the same age group (P<0.05). The reference ranges of six sex hormones were established for healthy children aged 0-18 years in Shenzhen based on the levels of these hormones in different age groups.

CONCLUSIONSThere are significant differences in sex hormones between different age groups or sex groups. The reference ranges of six sex hormones established for different sexes or ages have great significance in the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine diseases in children.

Adolescent ; Age Factors ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Estradiol ; blood ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Luminescent Measurements ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Progesterone ; blood ; Reference Values ; Testosterone ; blood

Objective: To study the changes of the serum zinc alpha 2 glycoprotein (ZAG) level in men and its relationship with blood lipid male reproductive hormones. METHODS: We enrolled 297 men aged 25－ 65 years in this study, 152 with hyperlipemia (HL) and the other 145 with normal blood lipid (normal control). We divided them into four age groups (25－35 yr, 36－45 yr, 46－55 yr, and 56－65 yr) and three tertile groups (Q1, Q2, and Q3) according to the tertiles of the serum ZAG level, and examined their blood lipid, blood glucose, serum ZAG, and reproductive hormones. RESULTS: The serum ZAG level was decreased gradually with the increase of age in both the HL patients and normal controls, significantly in the 36－45 and 56－65 yr age groups (P <0.05), and markedly lower in the HL than in the control men in the 25－35 and 36－45 yr groups (P <0.05). The levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and total testosterone (TT) changed significantly with the ZAG level. The level of serum ZAG was correlated negatively with age (r = －0.58, P<0.05), waist circumference (r = －0.21, P <0.05), body mass index (BMI) (r = －0.22, P <0.05), fasting blood glucose (r = －0.16, P <0.05) , and triglyceride (TG) (r = －0.27, P <0.05) but positively with TT (r = 0.36, P <0.05). Age, BMI and TG were independent factors influencing the serum ZAG level. CONCLUSIONS The serum ZAG level is decreased with the increase of age and associated with lipid metabolism, abdominal obesity, and reproductive hormone levels in males.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Body Mass Index ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity, Abdominal ; etiology ; Reproduction ; Seminal Plasma Proteins ; blood ; Triglycerides ; blood

Reliable reference intervals for sex hormones are indispensable in evaluations of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. This study established reference intervals for estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and prolactin with the immunoassay platforms Advia Centaur and Immulite 2000XP (Siemens Healthcare, Germany). We recruited healthy men (n=220), women in the follicular (n=139) or luteal (n=87) phases of the menstrual cycle, and postmenopausal women (n=103). Data was analyzed according to CLSI EP28-A3c guidelines. Although reference intervals established with both platforms showed good agreement with ranges quoted by the assay manufacturer, two discrepancies were noted. First, intervals for prolactin in women were influenced by hormonal status, and the partition analysis supported their separation into subgroups based on menstrual cycle. Second, the upper limit for estradiol in the follicular phase was nearly a half of that provided by the manufacturer. This discrepancy was attributed to the stringent definition of the follicular phase (consistently set at days 3-5 after menstruation onset). Our findings suggest that reference values for prolactin should both be gender specific and account for menstrual cycle phase. The results also emphasize that clear-cut selection criteria are required when assembling populations for establishing endocrine reference intervals.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Follicular Phase ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones/*blood ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Luteal Phase ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postmenopause ; Reference Values ; Sex Factors

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a serious health issue, which can impact the hormone secretion. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between serum sex hormone concentrations and different severity degree of OSAHS, and to evaluate the influence of OSAHS on sex hormone levels. We enrolled 116 subjects who were subjected to polysomnography (PSG). They were divided into three groups: control group (n=10) [apnea hypopnea index (AHI) <5/h], mild-moderate OSAHS group (n=15) (5≤AHI<30/h), and severe OSAHS group (n=91) (AHI≥30/h). The patients in OSAHS group were subdivided into obesity and non-obesity subgroups. The parameters such as AHI, body mass index (BMI), lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO2), and mean oxygen saturation (MSaO2) were recorded. Serum levels of testosterone, polactin, estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were determined in the morning immediately after waking up. Mean levels of hormones were compared among groups. The correlation between hormone levels and sleep-breathing parameters was analyzed. No significant differences in serum sex hormone levels were found among control, mild-moderate OSAHS, and severe OSAHS groups (P>0.05). There was no correlation between AHI and sex hormone levels (P>0.05). Testosterone was significantly negatively correlated with BMI (P<0.05). These results suggested that BMI might have a direct effect on testosterone level, and it might be an important factor affecting testosterone level in male OSAHS patients, and there may be no correlation between severity of OSAHS and sex hormones levels.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Far East ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; epidemiology ; Polysomnography ; methods ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; blood ; etiology ; pathology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Qingre Yangyin Recipe (QRYYR) on sex hormones and insulin resistance (IR) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients.

METHODSTotally 90 PCOS patients were randomly assigned to the Chinese herbs group,the Western medicine group, the combined group, 30 in each group. Patients in the Chinese herbs group took QRYYR, one dose per day in two portions, once in the morning and once in the evening. Patients in the Western medicine group took Metformin 500 mg, twice per day for 3 consecutive months. Patients in the combined group took QRYYR and Metformin (the same as the former said two groups) in the 1st month, and took QRYYR for the following two months. Fasting blood glucose (FPG) and postprandial 2 h blood glucose (2 h GLU) were determined using hexokinase method before and after treatment. Fasting insulin (FINS), postprandial 2 h insulin (2 h INS), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), prolactin (PRL), and testosterone (T) were detected using chemiluminescent method. Leptin and adiponectin (APN) were determined using ELISA. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Body weight and height were measured once before treatment and once after treatment to calculate body mass index (BMI). The total two-phase basal body temperature (BBT) actually obtained within 3 months was statistically collected to calculate the two-phase BBT rate. Scores for Chinese medical syndromes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment in the same group, BMI, FINS, 2 h INS, HOMA-IR, leptin, LH, PRL, T, and scores for Chinese medical syndromes obviously decreased, and APN levels increased (P < 0.05). FPG and 2 h FPG obviously decreased in the Western medicine group and the combined group (P < 0.05). E2 levels obviously decreased in the combined group with statistical difference (P < 0.05). Compared with the Chinese herbs group, the difference of BMI between pre-treatment and post-treatment was more in the combined group (P < 0.05). The difference of FPG,2 h GLU, 2 h INS, HOMA-IR, and APN between pre-treatment and post-treatment was more in the Chinese herbs group and the combined group (P < 0.05). Compared with the Western medicine group, the difference of PRL, T, and scores for Chinese medical syndromes was more in the Western medicine group and the combined group (P < 0.05); the difference of E2 and LH was even more in the combined group (P < 0.05). Compared with the combined group, the biphasic rate was obviously lowered in the Western medicine group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSQRYYR could improve IR but with weaker power to that of Metformin. It also could decrease serum levels of LH, T, PRL, and scores for Chinese medical syndromes, with superior effect to that of Metformin. The effect in the combined group was better.

Adiponectin ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Estradiol ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Leptin ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Metformin ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Progesterone ; Prolactin ; Testosterone